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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · prune · band · stock · jam · trunk · bowl · stand

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. band — a music group
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — goods
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com